The Warmth of a Smile
by Draco'sLoverr
Summary: Luna is keeping to herself, it's her last summer at Hogwarts, she decides to stay at the school. Alone. But soon she discovers that she's not alone at all. A shadow is roaming through the forests at Hogwarts. The shadow belongs to a boy which will be of a huge importance later in Luna's life. And Luna will do everything to keep him safe. After all, everyone can be forgiven..
1. The Shadow

Luna's long blonde hair was floating in the wind behind her. She walked silently in thoughts down the little path to the forbidden forest; it seemed like the only place she could truly be alone with her thoughts. And that was exactly what she needed  
She found it hard to talk to anyone, everyone were still grieving. She didn't want to trouble anyone.  
She heard the distant steps of a thestral searching for food. She knew now that she was not one of the few who could see them. Everyone saw them. That's the reason most of the students at Hogwarts avoided going near the forest, only Luna thought the Thestrals kind, and in need of understanding, much like her. She walked past a huge tree, and if she had paid a little more attention she would have heard someone trying to hold their breath not to disturb her.

Luna didn't notice it this time either. She just continued further in between the trees. And smiled when she saw the thestrals walking towards her, no matter how grim they looked; she found great comfort in talking to them.

She approached a baby thestral carefully not to alert the mother and reached out to it. It recognized her immediately and let out a shriek.  
"Yes, it's me" Luna said and reached for the piece of meat in her bag.  
The little baby thestral paced around her until Luna let go of the meat.  
"Thought you'd like that" she smiled and sat down on the dust ground leaning her head backwards against a tree.

Not far behind her the shadow had moved a little closer. The shadow soon took the shape of a boy. His hair was dirty and blonde, if you laid eyes upon him this very day you would soon understand he had been running a lot, and hiding in the woods for days. He had leaves in his hair and his robe was muddy. You would also notice the untied green tie hanging around his neck.  
He had been debating if he should make Luna aware that he was there or not, but after a great deal of time spent wondering, he decided to let her think she was alone.  
He didn't know if she would raise the alarm or not. Wanted for crimes committed during the last great war.. there was a huge price tag on his head. I you asked him, he didn't understand why he was wanted, he hadn't done anything, nothing the Dark Lord had told him to do had been done by his own hand. He tried to be a good son, and it had all failed. His missions failed the second he thought of her.  
He was glad they did, but sadly the consequences for a failed mission were huge, and painful.  
He looked down on his left arm. The once black mark had faded. You couldn't see it anymore, unless you know it had been there.  
If anyone looked at his arm the first thing they saw was the huge scar. Then after a few moments of thought they would understand who his allegiance had been with. He had escaped shortly after the Battle of Hogwarts had begun. He wasn't made to be evil. He didn't share his father's twisted thoughts. Nor did he agree with them.  
And he couldn't possibly be a part of killing innocent people. He got pulled out of his line of thoughts when the girl in front of him woke up. He stepped back into the shadows hoping she hadn't seen him.

Luna slowly opened her eyes and tried to force the tiredness out of her mind, she needed to go back to the castle. The rest of the Ravenclaws were leaving for summer holiday. She was staying at Hogwarts this summer, knowing her father wasn't himself and needed time to heal.  
She rose from the ground and started the walk back to the castle.  
Now she paid a little more attention to the surroundings because it was getting darker.  
But Draco could still follow her unnoticed to the castle.  
Luna continued past the Great Hall and down the corridors to the Ravenclaw common-room. It was located in the west tower of the school. You would have to climb a spiral of stairs to get there. Luna looked out of the arched windows as she walked past many students on their way down and to the carriages.  
"Bye, Luna! You sure you don't want to come?" A Ravenclaw by the name of Marietta Edgecombe asked-  
"No thanks, Marietta" She said "I'll do just fine here" She smiled and continued up the stairs.

She arrived at the top of the stairs and in front of the portrait guarding the entrance exactly two minutes later.  
"Which came first, the phoenix, or the flame?" The lady in the portrait asked.  
"A circle has no beginning" Luna answered, and the lady let her pass.  
She was about to sit down in one of the comfy blue armchairs when something caught her eye. It was the shadow again, and now she intended to take a better look.  
She headed over for the nearest window and looked out trying to separate one shadow from another.  
There!  
Between the trees, the shadow belonged to a boy, he stood completely still for a moment when the moonlight hit the trees. He forgot to step back and the moonlight hit his pale face.

Luna wasn't sure what to believe, she had heard so many places that he was dead, murdered. Well, she couldn't be completely sure it was him though.. He had long filthy blonde hair.  
She looked closer, the second she understood that it was Draco he pulled away back into the shadows.  
"Ah.. So it is you.." She said to herself and grabbed the nearest book. She didn't get much reading done though, she was busy thinking about why Draco Malfoy was hiding in the forest, or actually why he was following her, he was the shadow and he had been following her for weeks.. Why?


	2. The Advice

Luna woke the next morning to the sound of rain. She rose from the bed immediately and grabbed her bag from the floor. She had packed the day before. She was going to the forest again, and this time she would figure out what someone she thought was dead were doing there, and why he was hiding.  
She went over to her closet and grabbed the biggest hoodie she could find.  
"Could come of use" she thought.

She went down the stairs and headed to the Great Hall for breakfast with a smile on her face. Finally she had something to do, other than being alone with her thoughts. She could actually make a difference in somebody's life!  
Just the way she liked it.  
Luna slowed down a bit when she arrived at her table, unpacking a small lunchbox.  
She filled it with sausages, toast, two boiled eggs, some bacon, five cherry-tomatoes and an apple.  
"Eating outside in this weather?" Minerva McGonagall said looking up from The Daily Prophet "Yes" she smiled "I like this weather, it helps me think"  
"Well then" The old witch said and looked down at the paper again.

Luna smiled and left the castle. She ran quickly down the hills and into the sheltering forest. She needed to find the hungry Slytherin.  
She didn't want to call for him. He could think she was looking for him to get him arrested. She couldn't risk him running off and get caught by someone else with less friendly thoughts in mind.

She found her spot and decided to wait for him. If he knew she was there he would probably be close by in no time. If not he would check for enemies and find her anyways. She was right.

Draco wiped his dirty blonde hair out of his eyes as he woke from the restless and very uncomfortable sleep, trying to stretch his nick back in place. A tree isn't a very comfortable pillow.  
He yawned and looked around. He was already wet from the rain.  
"Damn" he thought. Now he had to walk himself dry to avoid getting sick. He was tired enough anyways! He tried to rise from the ground but halfway he stopped. He smelled something.  
Food  
He didn't care that he might get caught. It couldn't be her; he knew Luna wouldn't get out on a day like this. Who else used to eat their breakfast in the forest?  
He followed the smell, quickly without a sound. Getting closer and closer with every step. He was now five steps away from her.

Luna heard a snap of a twig behind her and smiled. He was here.  
She but the lunchbox down and cleared her voice.  
"It's you isn't it?" She asked into the shadows  
"My answer depends on what you intend with the asked question!"  
"Nothing, I just wanted to ask you if you were hungry?" she continued  
"Why?" Draco asked not sure if he really could trust her  
"I brought you something" She said and reached the lunchbox out to him. "Please eat?"

Draco wanted to grab the food and just go but something kept holding him back.  
"Come on, swallow your pride for once. Im nice, I'm just trying to help you!" Luna didn't raise her voice despite the urge to. She continued to hold out the lunchbox.  
Finally he stepped out of the shadows and headed towards her.

Luna almost screamed when she saw him. Not of shock or anything. She was filled with sadness. Draco Malfoy wasn't anything like what he had once been.  
His hair was tangled and dirty and half a meter longer than last time she had seen him. His robes were muddy and full of holes and barely covered him from the rain.  
She saw a spark in his eyes when she gave him the lunchbox, hunger and a touch of happiness.. or something that looked like it.

He ate quickly, afraid that anyone might see him and have him arrested.  
"Slow down, or you're just going to get sick!" Luna exclaimed and watched him eat the last piece of toast.  
"Yeah? What if someone notice me?" He said and looked into Luna's eyes "Then I'm dead"  
"But.." Luna stopped when she saw he was shivering. "Wait a second"  
She grabbed the hoodie and gave it to him and once again his eyes light up.

Draco didn't understand. He had been such an idiot towards Luna in the past, why was she nice to him?  
"Why are you nice to me?"  
"Because that's who I am. If you will take my advice now?" She asked, but not waiting for an answer.  
"You know, when you make people hate you because of your opinions, they tend to hate you back, and then you miss out all the good things about that person. You see, hate is blinding. The reason why you asked me that is because you never got or wanted a reason to get to know me. To you I'm just Loony" she stopped for breath, to find him nodding.  
"My advice is, get to know a person before you decide not to like him or her" she continued but when she was done talking Draco had disappeared into the shadows again.  
"I also believe everyone deserve a second chance!" She yelled after him knowing he heard her.

She smiled and rose from the ground. Walking back to the castle she thought of what she had just told him. She didn't know if he actually paid attention to her. He would probably change back to his old self and leave sooner or later. He had to. He had people looking all over the place for him.  
But at least she had made him smile regardless of him liking it or not. She didn't expect any more meetings in the forest.  
She needed to be alone. And he needed to find someone to help him. Or maybe that was her, maybe she could help him with something more than food and a hoodie. She didn't know and honestly she didn't want to find out. She didn't trust him. It was just in her nature to be nice to him no matter what he had done. Everyone needs an advice now and then..


End file.
